Amplified phones are either public, coin-operated, phones that have a volume control button on the wall unit or a regular phone equipped with volume control on the handset.Many phones nowadays have a volume control. Some are specially designed for people with a hearing loss. The most powerful of these may amplify the signal as much as 50 decibels. Many of these phones include some other things which are interesting to people. These are: mini-plug jack for plugging in a:headphone, neckloop, Silhouette, FM transmitter, DAI; frequency control; extra loud, frequency adjustable ringers.
A headphone is used by people with disabilities, as well as people without them. They can be plugged in a phone, TV, stereo etc. However, even though in this case it is made for persons with hearing problems, they can give quite a hard time for them. The reason for that is that they are just headphones, they just transfer a sound from a device. So, in in order for it to be helpful to deaf people they can work only if they can work together with another hearing aide. A neckloop is one type of loop. It is a necklace-size loop of wire that can be plugged into an ALD or ALS receiver, a radio, TV, some computer speakers and some telephones. It is then worn around the neck of someone who has a hearing aid with a telecoil. It is good because it can drive both hearing aids and doesn’t require wires. A silhouette is one type of loop. It is a small loop of wire embedded in a thin hook-shaped piece of plastic with a wire coming out of it that can be plugged into an ALD or ALS receiver, a radio, TV, some computer speakers and some telephones. It is hooked over the ear and nestles beside a BTE hearing aid with a telecoil.Frequency Modulation (FM) means varying a radio signal’s frequency (instead of amplitude) to transmit useful information.
